To the Editor:
You listen, in disgust and disbelief, to reports of break-ins and vandalism happening to others, never thinking that it could happen to you. But when it does – it momentarily - but hopefully only temporarily - shatters your faith and trust in humanity.
On Saturday, July 21, after having spent an enjoyable evening at the chuckwagon races in Bonnyville, we were returning to our home in the country to find a person unknown to us walking along the side of the road, a rare occurrence. As we passed by him, we both commented on how odd that was and became a little suspicious as to what may be waiting up ahead. Stopping just short of our driveway to check to see if there were any unusual tracks, we heard a commotion and looked towards our house to see two individuals on our deck. My partner yelled at them to ‘Get the hell away from our property’ – to which there was no response other than a scream as one of the individuals broke through the railing on our deck and fell to the ground below. At the same time, we noticed a vehicle parked further down the road so, not wanting to approach the two individuals in the yard, we drove down to find the vehicle abandoned. My partner called 911 (and was put on hold!) but eventually his call was answered and he told them we needed the RCMP. Twenty-five minutes later, the police arrived. By this time, the individuals had left, but they were both apprehended. They left behind considerable damage to our deck and other property, along with blood stains on both doors. They had also vandalized my spouse’s truck.
The police informed us that the individual they had taken into custody was well known to them and that this was a common occurrence for him.
This event was a petty and spontaneous act of violence, committed during a drunken or drug-induced spree, which led to the two individuals beating on each other in our front yard. How they arrived there, I can only guess, but I assume that the vehicle down the road had broken down and we were the only residence in the vicinity.
This letter is not to fault the RCMP. They work hard, and a lot of what their job entails, particularly in this area, must be extremely frustrating for them. It must be frustrating in the fact that their hands are tied by our penal system and by our charter of rights and freedoms as to what they can do and how far they can go to protect the rights of the innocent victims of these petty crimes that keep occurring and the perpetrators get the proverbial ‘slap on the wrist’, or maybe a few days in jail. There they can talk to their cell-mates and, no doubt, share their stories to find better and more innovative ways to harass and terrorize the innocent, and are released from jail as even better criminals, while we are the ones who have to deal with the feelings of violation, the intrusion into our private and personal spaces and mistrust of our fellow man! Because of the fear that it may happen again, we become the prisoners – frightened to leave our property in the event it may happen again.
Our penal system is failing! The individuals who perform these senseless acts of violence and vandalism need to be held accountable for what they have done. They need to know that they cannot just randomly attack and destroy another individual’s property and get away with it. They need to learn respect for others. They need to know and understand just how their actions affect the lives of those who they have violated. There needs to be consequences to their actions.
Unfortunately, I am but one person – and I don’t know how to challenge our government officials to change the justice system. I just know how I feel, having become the victim, and it is very disheartening and discouraging to know that, before too long, these petty criminals will be back on the street, getting drunk or stoned and wreaking havoc on yet another innocent victim.
Ellie Peters
County of St. Paul
